As a Food & Beverage Product R&D Leader, Culinary R&D Chef, and experienced Food, Bakery, & Beverage Science Technician, I have a track record of success in bringing new food concepts to the market, scaling to meet rapid changes in volume, and enabling new market and category entry. Laser-focused on quality and taste consistency, I exceed profitability goals year-after-year by utilizing production labor efficiently, strong vendor relationship building and negotiation, and rigorous cost analysis. In recent years, I brought the infrastructure, discipline, and systems needed to scale for growth as well a meticulous attention to detail and cross-functional coordination that enabled us to mitigate risk and ensure that products got launched on time. I know how to put the right talent and team in place to support growth and create work environments that not only hold the team accountable, but also inspire loyalty and create a culture to boldly test the waters. My background is unique in that it encompasses both startup, entrepreneurial environments as well as corporate (Starbucks). I bring to the table not only the best practices in systems, protocols, and cost analysis learned while at Starbucks---but also a highly creative mind that can quickly ideate new concepts and juggle ambiguity, constant change, and chaos very well. Earlier in my career, I had the unique lifetime opportunity to work at The W Hotel during its incredible launch stage. Recruited by the Executive Chef to open the flagship W Hotel in NYC, San Francisco, and Seattle, I not only decreased food and labor costs by 20% within 6 months of opening, but also scaled pastry production to meet Banquet growth, which had tripled in volume demand in 3 months.
It was during this period where I had the opportunity to lead the team in GOING BOLD and we quickly became known for our out of the box inventions---leading to numerous media engagements in television, radio, and national publications, including a stint on The Today Show, the Food Network, and the Tyra Banks Show.AREAS OF EXPERTISE: Global Product Concept Innovation & Development (Soup to Nuts)Research & Development Rapid Iteration and Testing of New Concepts Menu and Recipe Engineering / StandardizationBeverage / Kitchen to Market CommercializationOperational Scalability Vendor Sourcing, Negotiations & Management Pricing and Cost AnalysisMargin Optimization Staff Recruitment, Mentoring and Development Production Supervision (to 35 Staff)Disciplined Innovation Strategy